The Good News for Music and Advocacy
by William W. Gourley

A recent Gallop Poll commissioned by NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) offers great news for music educators across the globe but especially for the U.S., music making is on the rise. The survey includes all segments of music making from grand pianos, guitars and D.J. gear to violins and guitars.

A closer look at the results of the 2006 Music USA: NAMM Global Report reveals very positive attitudes and trends regarding music making.

The U.S. is the World Leader in Instrument Purchases

• The U.S. market accounts for nearly 43% of global music instrument purchases. Japan is second at 15.6% and the U.K. ranks third with 6.7%.
• 52% of U.S. households have at least one person who currently plays an instrument compared to the U.K. with 37%.
• 40% of U.S. households have two or more musicians.

Too often the importance of music making in the United States is perceived as being far inferior to the rest of the world. Music educators and performers in this country tend to perpetuate this myth. We hear stellar youth ensembles from Japan, Switzerland, Germany, England, etc. and wrongly assume that these countries must have far greater participation in the musical arts than the U.S.

The fact that the U.S. accounts for 43% of the world’s instrument purchases can largely be attributed to our population. The statistic that should demonstrate the value Americans place on musical performance is 52% of U.S. households have someone who plays an instrument compared to 37% in the U.K. This participation is distributed equally between women (51%) and men (49%).

Music Participation is Growing

• The fastest growing demographic of music makers in actual raw numbers is 18-34 year olds with an increase of 5% since 2003.
• School instrumental programs and private lesson enrollment has increased by 11% since 2003.
• Seniors citizens are taking up music making not just as an enjoyable hobby; they are realizing enhanced health and wellness benefits.

One can only speculate as to the increase in music participation over the past three years. Perhaps as technology has enabled us to increasingly interact both at work and socially through cyberspace there has been a growing need to become part of something that fulfills our need to interact with each other. Or, technology offers a greater ability to learn an instrument on our own while playing along with an accompaniment making learning an instrument more enjoyable. The past ten years has seen an increasing amount of research that explores the benefits of music and an intensified advocacy movement which arguably has enhanced people’s awareness of the value of music making.

President and CEO of NAMM, Joe Lamond offers, “With more emerging research linking active music making to a host of educational and health benefits as well as being a source of expressing creativity and having fun, it is only natural to see an increase in playing across every U.S. demographic group. More Americans are discovering that you don’t have to be a ‘musician’ to enjoy the proven benefits and enjoyment of playing music”

Americans Overwhelmingly Support Music

According to the Gallop-NAMM Poll of U.S. citizens:

• 85% believe music is a very important part of their life
• 82% wish they had learned to play an instrument
• 67% have a desire to learn an instrument
• 94% believe music is a part of a well rounded education
• 85% believe music participation corresponds to better grades and higher test scores

As supportive as these figures seem, it would be interesting to see the results for math, science and reading. One would have to imagine the numbers would be similar if not even more supportive of these subjects.

The good news is these figures have continued to improve over the years. In 1997 only 69% felt music participation enhanced grades and test scores, and 90% believed music was a part of a well rounded education. More and more, people place a high value on music in their lives that cannot be overlooked in our efforts to expand music making in all segments of the population from toddlers to senior citizens.

The Influencers

• 37% of those playing an instrument were encouraged by their parents
• 29% became interested on their own
• 17% were encouraged to play an instrument by a teacher
• 16% were encouraged by someone else

Not surprisingly, parents are the main influence in encouraging children to play an instrument. This should be a major focus of our recruiting strategy throughout the year. A year long effort combining personal letters, school newsletters and visibility through information stations at all parent conferences and school activities is vital in convincing parents of the benefits that music will provide for their children.

Advocacy

Even though music participation is on the increase globally and attitudes regarding the value of music continue to strengthen, music in the curriculum faces many perennial and new challenges. A weak economy stresses school budgets, ever increasing extra-curricular options for students, increased emphasis on “core” academic testing and the No Child Left Behind mandates have created a new phenomenon called, “narrowing the curriculum”.

If this term is not familiar to you it may soon be. In a March 26, 2006 New York Times article entitled, Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math, the impacts of the No Child Left Behind Act were highlighted. As schools strive to meet the benchmarks for NCLB many at risk students are forced into a narrowing of their class options to an English and math curriculum. The result is students take three periods of English, two periods of math and a physical education class in the six period day until they can achieve the improvement mandated in NCLB. Social studies, language and science classes along with art classes are being severely curtailed or eliminated from the student’s schedule until they master the NCLB tested areas.

It is said all politics is local and so it is with advocacy. National organizations have done a great job of creating advocacy resources and a national awareness of the benefits of music making. The past ten years has seen an explosion of research (some more credible than others) regarding brain function and the effects music making has on the brain. But all this information has little relevance to our communities if we do not make the effort to inform locally.

Local advocacy is easier today than ever. The following organizations are just a few of the many sites that offer advocacy materials and articles that can be easily distributed to parents, school boards, community leaders and administrators in your efforts to get the word out regarding the value of a strong music program.

• musicachievementcouncil.org
• music-for-all.org
• themusicedge.com
• WhyMusicEd@music-for-all.org

The Gallop/NAMM poll portrays a public never more receptive to music making creating an environment where advocacy can be at its most effective. And it is as simple as letting your fingers do the clicking.